The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on February 28 licensed Thach Khe Iron Joint Stock Co to start the iron ore mining project in the Thach Khe ore of Ha Tinh province.

The ore covers 527 hectares to a depth of 550 metres.

Anticipated mining duration is 30 years including four-years for basic construction, 5th to 10th operation years with estimated capacity of five million tonnes a year and following years with 10 million tonnes of iron ore a year. The expected output of iron will be supplied to the steel maker of Thach Khe JSC with capacity of 2-4 million tonnes of steel billet a year and other steel refineries in Vung Ang economic zone.